Crash helmet for motorcyclists and the like provided with a safety device for locking the visor

Abstract: Crash helmets for motorcyclists and sportspeople in general of the type with a liftable visor (2), provided with a safety device for locking and supporting the visor, comprising a groove or through slit (4) positioned near the lower edge of the eye opening and suitable to constitute a sliding and guide seat for a translable sliding element (6) provided with a locking and supporting flange (8), which flange has on the back a restrain tooth suitable to engage, in closed position, a corresponding step (10) frontally provided on a flap (11) protruding from the edge of the visor (2) and on the top a support seat (14) suitable to cause the lower base of said flap (11) to rest on it.

Description: This invention relates to a crash helmet for motorcyclists and the like, with a visor liftable by rotation on pins or ring nuts placed laterally relatively to the helmet, provided with a device for locking the visor in lowered position or to lock and keep the visor in a slightly lifted position, easily manoeuvrable and highly reliable. As is known, crash helmets for motorcyclists and in general for those who take part in sports competition requiring the use of the helmet, are realized in form of full cap, which in the case of integral helmets is frontally equipped, in correspondence of the eyes, with an opening which can be closed by means of a liftable and/or removable transparent visor. At present, to keep the visor lowered, measures and devices are utilized of different types which normally operate in various ways on the pins or ring nuts provided at the sides of the helmet cap, and on which the ends of the visor are rotatably hinged. Devices are provided, for instances, which, by screwing a head, tighten and lock the visor ends against the rotation ring nut, whereby the visor keeps its position by effect of the friction, or devices that provide for the plugging of restrain means obtained on the visor end in seats provided in the suitably shaped ring nut, or other similar devices. These known devices realize an efficacious restrain of the visor lowered in closed position, but have the drawback of being placed laterally relatively to the helmet and that therefore for their operation one cannot use indifferently either hand, but must use either the left or the right hand, and sometimes both of them in succession, according on whether the device is positioned on the left or on the right side, or, as happens sometimes, on both sides. This may involve discomforts even rather marked, in particular when the concerned hand is engaged in manoeuvres from which it cannot be diverted (manoeuvre of the clutch, the lights, etc.). Even other devices are known which are allowed to lock the visor of a crash helmet in the front position. For example, both DE 3229430 and GB 1586377 disclose a locking device which comprises, a resiliently biased hook member used to lock the visor in the closed position. Said hook member engages or latches a projection or the like provided on said visor when the latter is in the lowered position. DE 3229430 discloses a crash helemt of the integral type provided with means for attaching the visor to the crash helmet, which means are positioned at least on one sidewall of the helmet and a reseliently biassed hook used to lock the visor in the closed position. More particularly, DE 3229430 discloses a device comprising a thin rod sliding vertically and resting with its flat upper edge against the flat reentering edge of the visor; the visor is retained in a closed position by the thrust exerted against the edge of the rod by the lower edge of the visor owing to a compression spring. GB-A-1586377 discloses a crash helmet comprising: a helmet structure a visor provided with an inwardly extending projection a slidable resiliently biased hook member engaging or latching the projection of said visor when the latter is in the lowered position. By lowering the visor this latter is locked to the structure since the projection of the visor engages the hook; to raise the visor it is sufficient to push upwardly the button to disengage the hook from the projection: the hook besides shifting upwardly also moves to the inside. FR 2584898 discloses a helmet for motorcyclists and the like which is provided with means suitable for adjusting and controlling an open space which can be obtained between the low edge of the visor and the helmet. Said means are represented by a screw, which can be regulated by the user from the outside, so as to set up the size of said opening. With the visor locking devices according to the known art, the user does not always understand with the promptness required when one is driving a fast sport vehicle, if the locking device is inserted or if it is not inserted when he wishes to lift the visor, and tends therefore to make a check which can distract him, even though for a few seconds, from the controls of the vehicle. Another drawback is due to the fact that the aforementioned devices generally involve a complex manufacture and are therefore subject to easy deterioration and breakdowns, besides being rather expensive. Object of this invention is to provide a helmet for motorcyclists and the like provided with restrain and locking devices of the visor lowered in closed position, which is easily operatable by one only hand and indifferently by the right or the left hand, causing it to be accessible and operatable promptly and at any moment and in any condition. A further object of this invention is to provide a crash helmet for motorcyclists provided with a restrain and locking device of the visor in lowered position, highly reliable and safe, without parts or mechanisms complex or susceptible of deterioration or accidental breakdowns, and which is, besides, simply and economically realizable. Still another object of this invention is to provide a crash helmet for motorcyclists provided with a device allowing to lock and keep the visor in a slightly lifted position, so as to allow a light direct ventilation at low speeds with the associated visor demisting effect. These and still further objects and associated advantages which shall be stressed by the following description are provided by a crash helmet for motorcyclists and for sports-activities of any kind, of the type with a liftable visor, comprising a protective cap provided on the front, in correspondence of the eyes, with a wide opening to ensure user's visibility, which helmet, according to this invention, comprises: a groove with guide rails or through slit, positioned near the lower edge of said opening, suitable to constitute a sliding and guide seat for a pin, guide head or the like, a translable sliding element, provided with a pin or a guide head sliding in said groove or through slit and with at least a protruding flange provided with a restrain tooth on the back, a liftable visor provided with a protruding flap in correspondence of its lower edge, said flap being provided on its front part with a step suitable to be engaged and restrained, in the lowered position, by said restrain tooth positioned on said protruding flange, the extension of said groove or through slit being such as to allow said sliding element to translate in both directions and to be stopped when said step is in a position of engagement and restrain and therefore of locking of the lowered visor, or in disengagement position. Besides, said protruding flange is provided on the top with a support seat suitable to cause the lower base of said protruding flap to rest on it, and therefore to keep in a slightly lifted position said visor, so as to ensure a moderate direct ventilation inside the helmet, in particular at low speeds. More particulary, said sliding element translates in a special translation indented seat, provided in correspondence of the lower edge of said opening and containing said groove or window, and said protruding flap, in the position of visor locking, is housed in a special indented seat provided in correspondence of the lower edge of said opening and said translation seat. The guide pin is provided with a head or a rivet, which restrains said pin by sliding between the guide rails of the groove or prevents the pin from coming out of the through slit, when this alternative is adopted. According to a variant of this invention, the translable sliding element is connected to a prestressed spring which brings always back said element to the position corresponding to the position of locking of the visor, even when said visor is free and lifted. This lends the locking device a greater safety and even a higher use comfort. Normally the extension of the groove or the guide slit is such as to allow the Sliding element to translate and to stop in two positions, a visor locking position and an unlocking position. Besides, if one wishes to obtain a moderate direct ventilation within the helmet keeping however the visor partly lifted, in particular at low speeds, the protruding flange is positioned in correspondance of the flap base protruding from the visor, so as to cause the flap base to rest on the support seat provided on the upper end of the flange; in this way, the visor remains lifted for a few millimeters, i.e. for a height about equal to the protrusion of the flange. Of course the extension of the groove may be such as to allow the sliding element to have even three positions, namely a position for loking or supporting the visor, and two unlocking positions or viceversa, for a greater use comfort. The device subject matter of this invention is now described with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are given only as an indication non limitative of said invention, wherein: Fig. 1 shows schematically the helmet realized according to this invention, Fig. 2 shows in detail and schematically the visor restrain and locking device realized according to this invention, in the locking position of the lowered visor, Fig. 3 shows the device of Fig. 2 in the unlocking and disengagement position of the visor, Fig. 4 is a section along the A-A line of the device of Fig. 2 in the visor locking position, Fig. 5 shows still a further embodiment of this invention, in which the sliding element is provided with two protruding flanges, with the device in the unlocking and disengagement position of the visor, Fig. 6 shows the device of Fig. 5 in the locking position of the lowered visor, while Fig. 7 shows the device of Fig. 5 with the visor's protruding flap resting on the support seat provided on the flange of the translable sliding element. With reference to said figures, the helmet according to this invention comprises the rigid cap 1 to which the transparent visor 2 liftable by rotation on the hinge ring nuts 3 is applied. Near the lower edge of the opening provided for the eyes the through slit 4 is positioned which constitutes the sliding and guide seat for pin 5 integral with the translable sliding element 6. Pin 5 is provided with head or rivet 7 which prevents pin 6 from coming out of slit 4. The sliding element 6 is provided with the protruding locking flange 8, provided on the back with the restrain tooth 9, which tooth, in the locking position as shown on Figs. 2 and 4, engages and restrains steps 10 provided on the protruding flap 11 of visor 2. The sliding element 6 translates in both directions, as indicated by the arrow, within the indented seat 12, while flap 11, provided on the visor, is housed, in the lowered position, into seat 13, also provided on the edge of the opening of cap 1. When element 6 is shifted in the direction of C until pin 5 stops against the left C end of slit 4, the restrain tooth 9 provided on the locking flange 8 disengages from step 10 provided on flap 11 of the visor, and the visor is therefore disengaged and can be lifted. When element 6 is shifted in the direction of B until pin 5 stops against the right B end of slit 4, when the visor is lowered and flap 11 is housed within seat 13, tooth 9 superposes to step 10 and locks it, locking in this way the visor in the closed lowered position. When a prestressed spring - not shown in the drawing - is associated to element 6, said spring brings element 6 always back to position B, both when one locks the visor in the lowered position and after one has unlocked and lifted it. On the contrary, by shifting towards B element 6 with the lifted visor and by positioning the locking flange 8 in correspondance of the protruding flap 11, the lower base of flap 11 can stop and rest on the upper end 14 of the protruding flange and in this way the visor remains partly lifted, leaving an opening through which a moderate amount of air can pass inside the helmet at low speeds. In the variant of Fig. 5, the translable sliding element 6a is provided with two flanges 8a and 8b. When the sliding element is in the central position in the indented seat 12a, flap 11a is free and the visor can be lifted. To lock the visor in the closed position, element 6a is shifted laterally with visor 2 lowered and flap 11a is positioned in seat 13a, as shown in Fig. 6. On the contrary, by shifting laterally element 6a with the visor lifted and by causing then the lower basis of flap 11a to match the support seat 14a provided on element 6a, the visor remain lifted, leaving in this way an open slit 15, through which air can freely enter into the helmet.

Claims: Crash helmet for motorcyclists and for sports activities in general, of the liftable visor type, comprising a protection cap (1) provided, on the front part in correspondence of the eyes, with a large opening to allow user's visibility, characterized in that it comprises: a horizontal groove with guide rails or through slit (4), positioned near the lower edge of said opening, suitable to constitute a sliding and guide seat for a pin or a guide head (5), a horizontally translatable sliding element (6), provided with a pin or guide head (5) translatable in said groove or through slit (4), and with at least a protruding flange (8) provided with a restrain tooth (9) on the back, a liftable visor (2) provided with a flap (11) protruding downwardly in correspondence of its lower edge, said flap (11) being provided on its front part with a step (10) suitable to be engaged and restrained, in the lowered position, by said restrain tooth (9) provided on said protruding flange (8), the extension of said groove or through slit (4) being such as to allow said horizontally sliding element (6) to translate in both directions and to be stopped either in the position of engagement and restraint of said step and therefore of locking of the lowered visor or in a disengagement position. Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said protruding flange (8) is provided on the top with a support seat (14) suitable to cause the lower base of said protruding flap (11) to rest on it, and therefore to keep in a slightly lifted position said visor (2), so as to ensure a moderate direct ventilation inside the helmet. Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said sliding element (6) translates in a special translation indented seat (12) positioned in correspondence of the lower edge of said opening and containing said groove (4), and in that said protruding flap (11) is housed, in the visor locking position, in a special indented seat (13) provided in correspondence of the lower edge of said opening. Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said guide pin (5) is provided with a head or rivet (7) which restrains and guides said pin in said groove (4), preventing its coming out. Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said translatable sliding element (6) is connected to a prestressed spring which brings the element always back to the visor locking position. Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said groove (4) has such an extension as to allow said sliding element (6) to assume three positions: a position for locking or supporting the visor, and at the sides of said position, two unlocking positions, or viceversa.

Inventors: CASARTELLI GABRIELE, CASARTELLI, GABRIELE
Applicants: E D C SARL, E.D.C. SA
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A42B3
IPC codes: A42B3